Time Heals Everything
by Elora-18
Summary: Takes place right after Colin's second surgery. It didn't go as well as everyone hoped, and many changes are in order, for everyone involved. COMPLETE!
1. Breaking the News

A/N – This is my first fanfiction, so please let me know what you think of it!

Diclaimer – I own nothing, WB owns everything…though I'd love to own Ephram…and Colin, too, for that matter…

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It was a long, long walk from the operating room to the waiting room for Dr. Brown. Along the way he tried to think of ways to tell all the people there what had happened in the surgery, but he couldn't think of anything fast enough.

Once he got to the open doorway of the waiting room, he stood there, motionless and silent, gazing around at the worried faces. 

"Well?" his teenage son broke the tense silence, staring at him fearfully.

"I'm afraid the surgery didn't go as well as we hoped it would…" Dr. Brown trailed off as Colin's mother broke into tears. Amy looked like she was about to do the same, and was leaning against Ephram as if she was going to fall over.

"Now just wait," he continued, "Colin is still alive, but I'm afraid just barely."

Dr. Brown noticed Amy close her eyes briefly and Ephram protectively put his arm around her. 

"What's wrong with him? I mean, what are his chances?" Colin's father spoke out, and Dr. Brown noticed that he wasn't showing any sign that he was upset. He assumed it was for his wife's sake.

"We're doing everything we can, I assure you that Colin is in good hands," Dr. Brown replied, carefully side-stepping the question.

"That doesn't answer my question, Dr. Brown," Colin's father stepped forward and looked angry, "What are my son's chances of surviving?"

Dr. Brown sighed and ran his hands through his hair before answering.

"Probably 50/50."


	2. Just Friends

Amy and Ephram sat on a bench just outside the hospital, not talking, just taking in the cool, fresh mountain air. Ephram had taken Amy out of the waiting room as his father had continued to explain to the rest of their friends, because she had been feeling faint. 

Ephram glanced at her for a moment, to make sure she was still alright. Amy was staring out into the mountains, in some sort of a trance. He sighed, why did this always have to happen when things were going well? He had told Amy how he felt, and she had just wanted to be friends. He had been fine with that; it was better to be friends than not to have her in his life at all. 

It was harder than he thought though. Looking at her, talking with her, knowing that she could never see him as more than a friend. It hurt him, even though he knew that she would never hurt him intentionally.

Ephram had vowed to himself that he would try again with her, after things had settled down. Things were finally beginning to slow down and go back to normal when Colin's decided to have a second and more dangerous surgery. And now, well, it wasn't like he could try again now, while Colin was fighting for his life. 

"Ephram?" Amy's soft and fragile voice broke through his thoughts.

"Yeah?" he replied, turning to look at her.

"What - what if he doesn't make it? What am I going to do?" she asked, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

The feebleness in her speech struck a nerve in him, and he took her hand in his.

"Amy, there's a really good chance that he _will_ make it." Ephram replied, but when she opened her mouth to argue, he continued. "But, if he doesn't, you will get through this, you are one of the strongest people I know. And you will have the support of everyone, including me, throughout this no matter what happens."

Amy managed a small smile, and squeezed his hand. 

"Thanks, Ephram, I really don't know what I'd do without you…" she whispered, giving him a hug.

"I'll always be here, Amy." he replied quietly in her ear.

His heart skipped a beat at the meaning of his words, and mentally kicked himself for saying it. She was really upset right now, and he was afraid that she might push him away at the mention of their 'relationship'. But he was relieved when Amy just hugged him tighter and didn't reply.

"Guys?" Bright stood in the doorway of the entrance of the doorway.

Ephram and Amy pulled apart and Amy wiped tears away from her eyes that Ephram had not known were there.

"What, Bright? Is something wrong?" Amy's voice quavered, and she quickly got up.

When Ephram joined her, Bright had to hide a small smile, "No, no, sorry to frighten you. We were all just wondering where you were, and I wanted to make sure that you were okay. Dr. Brown's done explaining everything, so if you want to come inside, we can all talk."

Amy looked at Ephram, as if asking permission, and Ephram nodded slightly.

"Alright," she answered quietly.

            So with Ephram on one side of Amy and Bright on the other, the three headed back into the hospital. 


	3. Passing Time With Monopoly

A/N – Thanks for all your reviews! They really make my day. Rils, let's strike a deal, you can have Ephram to yourself! I have plenty with Colin…lol! Please keep reviewing!

"Your turn," said Bright, handing the dice over to Ephram. 

            Ephram rolled a pair of fours, and as he moved his playing piece around the Monopoly board he looked up at Amy and smiled. To his relief, she gave a small smile back, proving that she was still paying attention to her surroundings. 

            The doctors and nurses were attending to Colin and no one was allowed to see him yet. At Bright's suggestion, they all started a game of Monopoly, mainly to distract Amy from what was going on. She had not wanted to play, but when Dr. Brown had reminded her that it would be at least an hour before anyone would be able to see Colin, she relented. 

            Dr. Brown had quickly and calmly explained to Amy that they had given Colin some drugs that would make him stay asleep for awhile, so that he would be in less pain. Though he was asleep at the moment, the doctors would wake him up when his family and friends were allowed to see him.

Amy had to laugh every time Ephram landed on the jail square, or when Bright suddenly went bankrupt. Amazingly, Delia was winning the game, hundreds of monopoly dollars ahead of everyone else. Amy was in second, and Ephram and Bright were tied for last place. The time definitely seemed to pass quicker while they were playing.

            Amy was happy that her brother and Ephram were getting along, it was the first time that they had done so. It seemed too good to be true. After thinking this, she remembered that her boyfriend's life was on the line. Amy sighed.

            Both Bright and Ephram glanced at her, eying her and then looking at each other. They quickly went back to concentrating on the game though.

            "Amy?" Delia's asked, looking at her brother's friend intently.

            "Yes, Delia?" Amy tried to smile for the younger girl, keeping her voice calm and steady.

            "Colin's your boyfriend, right?" Delia looked thoughtful on this point, and Amy noticed that Ephram had looked down at the floor.

            "Yes, yes he is." Amy was trying to keep smiling, but it was becoming difficult and her lower lip started to tremble.

            "Well," Delia continued, unaware of Amy's troubles, "I was wondering, do you have to love someone to be their girlfriend? I mean, do you love Colin?"

            Bright started coughing, and Ephram was now glaring at Delia. 

            "Well, Delia," Amy felt tears coming to her eyes, and she noted that Bright had stopped coughing and Ephram was no longer giving Delia glares, but they were both staring at her. "That's a really hard question, especially for me to answer right now. Why are you asking?"

            "Well, you're really the only older girl I know, and I wanted to get your advice on boy stuff…" Delia trailed off, now looking at Ephram nervously.

            "You know what?" Amy smiled and got up, walking over to Delia and pulling her up, "If you want to talk, then we can go talk about 'girl stuff' while the guys keep playing. How does that sound?"

            Delia smiled and nodded.

            "Okay, guys, we'll be outside on the bench," Amy said confidently. 

Ephram got up out of his chair and gave her a hug.

"If you need me, just come and get me, okay?" he said in her ear.

            Amy pulled back and nodded, "Of course."

            Bright noticed the closeness of the two teenagers. He knew about Ephram's feelings for his little sister but wasn't sure about Amy's feelings. He decided to ask Ephram about it once his sister had left.

            Amy and Delia walked off and Ephram turned to Bright.

            "Your turn," he said, sitting back down. 

            "Ephram," Bright said while rolling the dice, "we need to have a little talk."

            "Really? What about?" Ephram chose to play dumb, even though he had a pretty good idea what this was going to be about.

            "My sister and you, what's going on between the two of you guys?" Bright asked this as casually as possible, while moving his pieces around the board.

            "Nothing at all," Ephram replied shortly.

            "Are you sure? 'Cause that's not what I picked up on just now." 

            Bright handed the dice over to Ephram.

            "Well," Ephram rolled the dice as he answered, "do you really want to be let in the circle, Bright? I'll tell you everything if you want."

            The older boy was surprised at Ephram's reply, not expecting to get such an offer.

            "Alright, my friend. Start from the beginning." Bright replied, leaning back in his chair.


	4. Girl Talk Is Good For the Soul

A/N – Again, thanks for your reviews! Thanks to Queen-Ditz and stargirl888 for noticing my mistake…it was pretty late when I was writing and I didn't even notice it! I'm glad you guys are paying more attention than I am! lol! Rils, that nickname's too funny, I laughed out loud when I read it, but I still want Colin! I think we've got ourselves a deal… If any of you like Harry Potter at all, check out Friends and Enemies: Growing Up At Hogwarts, it's a really good fic!! Please keep reviewing and let me know what you guys think!

"So what is it that you wanted to talk to me about, Delia?" 

            Amy and Delia sat on that same bench outside the hospital. It had been a couple minutes since the girls had left the Monopoly game and they had been sitting outside for a couple minutes now, without speaking to each other.

            Amy was happy to be outside in the fresh air again but was also happy to be away from Ephram for a bit. She needed him, but considering the question that Delia had asked her and the conversation that were about to have, it would be better to do it while not in his presence. 

            "Well," Delia began, "there's this boy…"

            Amy smiled, "And?"

            "I think I like him, but I don't know, I know I don't love him –  " 

            "Now, Delia, you don't have to love someone to go out with them," Amy interrupted, hoping to calm the girl down.

            "Really? But what if I start liking another guy while I'm going out with this one? Then what do I do?" Delia almost sounded like she was whining, and Amy chuckled at the irony of it all.

            _I guess it's not just my problem, _she thought, _it's the problems of kids and teenagers everywhere._

            She thought for a moment about how to answer Delia's question. It wasn't like she didn't have experience on this problem, but she often wondered if she had made the right decision.

            It all seemed so simple, stay friends with Ephram and support and stay with Colin. But it got more difficult with every day that passed. She knew that she didn't love Colin like she should, but couldn't break up with him, especially now. She wasn't entirely sure of her feelings for Ephram, but there were definitely feelings there. It made her feel so guilty…

            "Amy?"

            Amy looked up, startled, at Delia.

            "Sorry, sweetie," Amy replied quietly, "I was just thinking about how to answer your question."

            Amy paused for a moment, gathering courage and strength and then continued.

            "I think that if you're going out with a guy who you like, then that's great, good for you. But if another guy comes along, who you happen to have feelings for, then you need to work out those feelings, and figure out which guy you like more. If you like the new guy more, then you should gently let the other guy down. But if you still like the other guy more, then you should stay friends with the new guy, but keep going out with your boyfriend." Amy took a deep breath, and waited for Delia's reaction.

            "Kinda like you and Ephram?" 

            Amy sighed, "Yeah, kinda like me and Ephram."

            She didn't dare mention any of her thoughts to Delia, she believed that it would be disrespectful to mention any of this to anyone, considering the state Colin was in. That's what made it so complex; she couldn't change any of it.

            Amy decided to get off the subject of her and Ephram's relationship, "So who's this boy?"

            Delia smiled shyly.

            "Come on, you can tell me." Amy smiled at her, "If you don't, I'll just have to codename him Billy-Joe-Bob or something!"

            Delia laughed, "Fine, fine…his name's Mike."

            "Mike Anderson?" Amy asked, having known the family for years.

            Delia nodded and looked down at the ground.

            "Awwww, that's great, Delia!" Amy put her arm around the young girl, and noticed on her watch that it had been a half hour since they left the game.

            "You know what? We better go inside and see what's happening and if there's anything new." Amy stood up off the bench, "Did my explanation help at all?"

            Delia got up and nodded, "Yeah, thanks so much Amy!" 

            "No problem! If you need anything else, don't hesitate to come to me, even if I'm busy, okay?" Amy had enjoyed this one-on-one interaction with Delia, she was a good kid and Amy hoped that she could get to know her better.

            "Okay!" Delia beamed at the older girl's offer.

            The new friends headed inside the hospital, soon to be surprised and overwhelmed with the events to come.


	5. A Surprise WakeUp

A/N – If you want a disclaimer, go back to chapter 1. Thanks guys for your reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

After explaining everything that had been going on, Ephram sighed and leaned back in his chair. Bright hadn't said anything yet and he waited, anxious for any reaction.

            "Man," Bright sighed, after a minute or two, "This is like a freaking soap-opera!"

            Ephram chuckled and nodded, "So what do you think I should do?"

            "I really think there's nothing you can do right now, except support her, like we all are going to." Bright replied.

            "Yeah," Ephram agreed, "that's what I was thinking. I just have to wait…"

            "Erpham, Bright!" Dr. Brown stood in the doorway of the waiting room, looking very upset and fearful, "Where's Amy?"

            "Um, she's outside with Delia," Bright replied, getting up. 

"Why? What's wrong?" Ephram looked at his dad apprehensively; it was unusual to see him so on edge.

            "What's going on?" Amy asked frantically, appearing from behind Dr. Brown, with Delia at her side.

            "There you are, thank God," Dr. Brown turned towards her, "Colin's awake, and he's asking for you."

            "What? Weren't the drugs supposed to keep him asleep for a couple hours?" Amy asked, confused.          

            "Yeah, they were, but for some reason he's awake. And he wants to see you, so I suggest you get your butt down there to see your boyfriend!" Dr. Brown tried to smile as he said this, but Amy didn't notice as she looked at Ephram.

            "I'll be here when you get back," he said gently, as if answering an unasked question.

            "Okay," Amy said quietly, "What room is he in?"

            "Room 225," Dr. Brown replied, "his parents are in there right now, but considering that he wants to see you, I'm sure that they won't mind."

            Amy jogged off down the hallway and Delia followed close behind. Dr. Brown also turned to leave but Ephram stopped him.

            "There's something that you're not telling us," he whispered, "what is it?"

            Dr. Brown looked very grave, and he nodded, "You're right, son."

            "And?" Bright pushed.

            "We're not sure if him waking up is a good thing, or a bad thing." Dr. Brown began, "If it's a good thing, then by some miracle he's woken up and he's going to pull through."

            "How could it be a bad thing?" Ephram asked softly.

            "If it's a bad thing, then he's woken up because his body is having trouble recuperating and the pain medication isn't doing its job. Which in turn means that Colin is going to be in a lot of pain, which means – "

            "That his chances are less than before." Bright finished, looking very solemn.

            "And Amy has no idea! Dad!" Ephram exclaimed angrily, "How could you not tell her?"

            "I wanted to let her see Colin before I told her, she's going to be very upset." Ephram opened his mouth to argue more but his father kept talking, "I'm going to tell her, Ephram, just as soon as she's seen him."

            "Alright," Erpham replied, sitting back down.

            Dr. Brown nodded at the boys and then walked down the hallway after Amy.

            "Well," Ephram started, rolling the dice, "this is going to get more complicated."

            The older boy nodded, "Yep. And more soap-opera-y."

            Ephram's reply was short, simple and sarcastic.

            "Should be fun."


	6. Guilt

A/N – Here's the next chapter! Thanks for your reviews, I love them. Any feedback you can give me is appreciated! Thanks so much to Jenn for helping me edit this! Enjoy!

            As Amy passed through the tedious hospital hallway, her mind was racing. Things had taken a surprising turn and quite frankly, she had no idea how to deal with it. Amy knew that Dr. Brown hadn't told her something important and was aware that there was something that was not right. 

            What was she supposed to say to Colin, who had suddenly woken up? There was no question that something had changed between them, even if he couldn't see it. Amy was sure that she had feelings for Ephram, whether it was love or a silly crush, there were feelings. She had hoped that after everything had settled down she would be able to sort her feelings out. That would have to be in awhile

            The fact remained, though, that she was still Colin's girlfriend, and for now it would remain that way. He needed her support right now and she would give it to him. Whatever he needed, she would help him the best she could. 

            It felt horrible that she was betraying both Ephram and Colin. Ephram had no idea of these feelings, since she hadn't acted on them, and since she had told him to back off, Amy thought that he had surely given up on her. She was lying to him, to both of them. 

            But what else could she do? At this moment, she was stuck. And she couldn't talk about it. She had sworn to herself that she wouldn't utter a word about any of this to anyone. It just wouldn't be right. So she'd keep all of this to herself.

            Once she got to Colin's room, she stood outside the door. Colin's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hart, were inside and they were talking with him. She didn't want to interrupt their conversation, so she decided to wait until they were finished.

            "…we better be going, dear." Amy heard Mrs. Hart say to Colin.

            "Are you sure you feel alright?" Colin's father asked.

            "Yeah Dad, I'm okay." his son replied, sounding very tired, "Can you find Amy? I want to make sure she's alright, I know how hard this has been on her."

            Outside in the hallway, Amy winced. His concern for her was touching but hurtful at the same time. 

            The guilt ate away at her.


	7. Complications

A/N – Thanks for all your reviews! I tried to make this chapter a little longer, and it turns out that it's the longest so far! Hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think!

            Amy sat at Colin's bedside, holding his hand. His parents had left a couple minutes ago and even though they hadn't spoken to each other since his parents had left, it was a comfortable silence.

            "Are you sure you're alright, Amy?" Colin asked softly, looking deeply into her eyes.

            It took everything in her to not look away. She managed a smile, and squeezed his hand.

            "Yeah, I'm alright. I'm so glad you're okay." she replied, earnestly. 

            At least that much was true. Amy was so relieved and thankful that Colin was alright; it would be a lot harder if something had gone wrong. 

            "Yeah, it'll be nice when everything gets back to normal again, won't it?" he asked, smiling.

            Amy smiled and nodded. He had no idea how much she believed that. 

            "Thanks for being here for me, Amy. You know how much I need you right now, and your support is so helpful, without that I don't know what I'd do." Colin held Amy's hand tighter, and gently pulled her closer to him.

            "I told you that I'd be here for you, and I'm not going to break that promise." Amy replied, not only reminding him but also reminding herself.

            "Thank you," Colin whispered, leaning in to kiss her.

            Amy had no idea what to do, she couldn't pull away from him. So she let him kiss her, and kissed back, to avoid suspicion. 

            Inside she was screaming at herself. How could she do this? She couldn't keep this act up for five minutes, let alone a month while Colin healed. 

            It was at that moment that Colin chose to utter the words that she would have died for before his accident. But the words that she just couldn't hear right now.

            "I love you, Amy." 

            Amy froze, all her thoughts standing still.

            Then she did something that she would regret forever.

            "I love you too, Colin." 

            Amy kicked herself and wanted to get up and run. As if the indirect lying wasn't bad enough, now she had directly lied to her boyfriend. She knew that she didn't love Colin, not like she should. Not like he deserved.  But if she hadn't responded with those words, he would have noticed something was wrong. Colin didn't need that right now, he needed to concentrate on getting better with the support and encouragement of his friends and family.

            As Colin leant in for another kiss, Amy felt her eyes well up with tears. 

            _I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry…_ she repeated to herself over and over again. 

            There was a knock at the door, and the two teenagers pulled apart. Amy was thankful for the disruption.

            "Sorry to interrupt," Dr. Brown stood in the doorway.

            Amy quickly got up at the chance, and shook her head.

            "No, it's alright." she answered, a little hurriedly. 

            "Is everything okay?" Colin asked, looking at Dr. Brown nervously.

            "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, Colin." Dr. Brown replied, and as Amy went to leave, he stopped her, "No, no Amy please stay. I want you to hear this too."

            Amy reluctantly sat down in a chair by Colin's bedside.

            "Now, Colin, are you in any pain?" Dr. Brown asked, looking at the young man intently.

            "Well, now that you mention it," Colin started, looking down at the bedsheets, "My head hurts a lot, I have a really bad headache."

            Dr. Brown nodded and noted something on his clipboard.

            "What? Dr. Brown, what is this all about?" Amy asked, getting up. 

            Dr. Brown noticed the fear in her face, and Colin was now wearing it too.

            "Alright, I want you to stay calm as I explain this, okay?" Dr. Brown asked, and the two of them nodded. "Colin, you weren't supposed to wake up yet. We had given you drugs to keep you asleep for at least a couple more hours."

            "Yeah, the nurses seemed surprised when I woke up." Colin said, nodding.

            "Well, we think that it's probably a bad thing that you woke up. You are in more pain now because the original medication we gave you to ease the pain isn't working. Therefore, your body is working harder and is hurting more." Dr. Brown paused, and waited a moment, gathering strength to tell this boy that he could be living his last hours.

            "Doctor? What does all that mean?" Colin asked.

            "It means, Colin, that your chances are less than before." Dr. Brown replied quietly.

            The young man closed his eyes and Amy sat back down in her chair, looking faint again.

            "Dr. Brown?" Colin whispered.

            The older man felt horrible, and his reply was softer.

            "Yes Colin?" 

            "Could I get some medication that works?" Colin kept his eyes closed, and he looked significantly whiter than before.

            "Of course, son." Dr. Brown felt such sympathy for the boy, and his request hit him full on. "I'll go take care of that and leave you two alone." 

            Dr. Brown quickly left, closing the door behind him.

"Colin?" Amy murmured, "I need some fresh air."

            Colin opened his eyes briefly to look at her, and then closed them again.

            "Okay." he replied. 

            Amy didn't know what else to do, so she got up and kissed his forehead. He didn't respond.

            Amy closed the door behind her, and as she slowly slipped down to the floor, she was overwhelmed with sobs. She remembered what her father always said. 

            Just when you think it can't get more complicated, it does. 


	8. Depend On Me

A/N – Thank you for your reviews! I'm glad that you guys liked the last chapter; this one's shorter, but not by much. Thanks again to Jenn. Please review!

            "Shouldn't she be back by now?" Ephram asked Bright, looking at the clock on the wall.

            They had been waiting for at least twenty minutes, and the two boys were getting worried. Ephram was pacing around the waiting room and Bright was standing near the hallway that his sister had gone down. They hadn't seen Dr. Brown since then either, and hoped that he was taking care of things.

            "Maybe one of us should go find her," Bright said, looking down the empty hallway.

            "Yeah, but let's wait another minute or two, we don't want to seem too over-protective." Ephram replied, and Bright nodded in agreement.

            The two of them sat back down on the uncomfortable hospital chairs. They had given up their game of Monopoly a long time ago, both too preoccupied about Amy. It was the one thing that they had in common. Their caring about Amy was the only thing right now that united them. 

            It always seemed as if they were fighting, and it had possibly been the longest time that they hadn't argued or insulted each other. Quite frankly, they were both proud of themselves for it, although they would never admit it.

            "Okay," Ephram sighed, getting up, "I can't take this anymore. I'm gonna go try to find her."

            "Alright, man. I'll stay here in case she comes back." Bright replied.

            Ephram headed down the hallway, deep in thought. He wondered whether Amy knew about Colin yet, whether that's where his Dad had been. If she did, she would need someone to comfort her. Ephram knew Amy, and he knew that she was strong. But lately, everything seemed to have come tumbling down on her and she was more fragile than usual. 

            Who wouldn't be though? Her life was a mini-soap-opera! The stress of it all was bound to get to her at some point. She didn't deserve any of it, though. 

            Ephram stopped as he tried to remember which room Colin was in. As he couldn't remember, he decided to ask at the nurses' station.

            The petite blonde at the station recognized him as Dr. Brown's son and told him that Colin was in room 225. 

            He had been heading in the opposite direction so he made his way towards that room. As he came closer to it, he saw a figure sitting outside the room, hunched over. As he got nearer, he realized that it was Amy, and that she was sobbing uncontrollably. 

            Ephram started running towards her, and once he got to her he knelt down beside her and took her in his arms. She kept crying and he could feel her body shake as she did so.

            "Shhhhhh," he soothed, stroking her hair, "Come on now, it's going to be okay."

            Amy didn't respond, so Ephram started to sway her back and forth, trying to get her to calm down. If she continued like this, she might hyper-venelate.

            "Ephram, he might die," she mangaged to choke out in between her sobs.

            _So, my father has told her, _Ephram thought.

            "Yes, you're right," he replied, still stroking her hair and swaying her back and forth, "But there's also a good chance that he will come through this. We all need to stay positive!"

            Amy stopped crying for a moment, pulled away from Ephram's embrace and took a deep breath in.

            "You're right, Ephram," she replied, sniffing, "It's just so hard."

            Seeing Amy like this broke Ephram's heart and his response was as soft and gentle as possible.

            "I know, I can't even imagine how hard this must be for you. But you have to stay strong, for Colin. And we're all here to support not only Colin, but you too!" Ephram's words made Amy smile, and she hugged him.

            "You know I'm always here, okay? Always come talk to me, I want you to be happy." Ephram whispered in her ear as she hugged him.

            As she pulled back, Ephram noticed that her eyes were glistening not only with tears but also with hope.

             Amy gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

            "Thanks Ephram," she replied softly.

            Ephram could hardly think straight; Amy Abbott had just kissed him! Even if it was on the cheek, a kiss is a kiss. Definitely an improvement…perhaps a relationship wasn't impossible after all.

             "Come on," he said, pulling her down the hallway, "Bright's in the waiting room, and he's really worried."

            "Alright," Amy replied.

            Ephram put his arm around her waist and together they made their way to the waiting room.


	9. An Unexpected Request

A/N – Here's the next chapter and amazingly, it's super-long! I hope you enjoy! Thanks again to Jenn and Kim who proofread it and all those who have reviewed past chapters. Please keep reviewing!

            The next two days following Colin's second surgery were a blur to Amy. He stayed in stable condition and she was able to visit him frequently. His chances did not change and he was still in a great deal of pain. To make matters worse, his mood was very melancholy, and Amy had a horrible time trying to cope with it. Even though she didn't love him, she still cared about him as a friend and it hurt that he was in so much pain, both physically and emotionally. 

            Ephram was at her side 24/7, as was Bright. The two boys practically lived at the hospital, and were always there for Amy. When she came back from every visit, they were waiting for her. 

            Bright had been to see Colin a couple times, and had always come back disappointed. It seemed that even he couldn't get through to his best friend. 

            On the other hand, Ephram hadn't even thought about going to visit Colin. It would be so weird and uncomfortable to even say hello to him, considering what was going through his mind. He would feel horrible if he had to face Colin.

            So when Amy came back from one of her daily visits to Colin and told him that he wanted to see Ephram, he was shocked and terrified.

            "He what?!" Ephram exclaimed.

            "Colin asked to see you," Amy replied calmly, "and I told him that I'd come get you."

            "Oh my God…" Ephram muttered, falling into one of the hospital chairs.

            "Oh man," Bright sighed, sitting beside him.

            Amy looked bewildered and confused.

            "What's the big deal?" she asked.

            Bright laughed out loud, and then sobered, realizing that she had actually didn't know why it was a problem.

            "Well, Colin and I were never close." Ephram replied, "I actually think that he hated me. How could I go see him?"

            It was as close to the truth as it was going to get, Ephram decided. It's not like he could tell her in the middle of the hospital waiting room that he was in love with her and couldn't bear facing her dying boyfriend, because of the horrible guilt. Though that was the absolute truth.

            "How could you say no? He _asked_ to see you, Ephram!" Amy shouted angrily.

            "I just don't want to see him!" Ephram yelled, standing up.

            Bright was surprised at the heated argument between them, it had started so quickly. He decided that he had to do something to stop it, they both didn't need to be fighting right now.

            "Guys, please, calm down!" he said, coming between them. 

            He looked at Amy pointedly, and saw that along with anger there were tears in her eyes.

            "Amy, just give Ephram a couple minutes, alright? This was a surprise to him, and he just needs some time to deal with it." Bright turned around to face Ephram and continued, "And Ephram, calm down man, Amy hasn't done anything to you."

            He nodded, looking at Amy and feeling sorry at once. She was an absolute mess and he was supposed to be helping her, not fighting with her. 

            "I'm sorry Amy, of course I'll go see Colin," he relented, stepping towards her.

            "No, Ephram," she shook her head and spoke quietly, "If you don't want to you don't have to go see him, it's your decision."

            "No, I'll go see him," Ephram replied softly, "You want me to, so I will."

            A single tear ran down Amy's cheek, and Ephram pulled her into a hug.

            "Come on," he whispered, "Positive, remember?"

            She nodded, but he felt another tear slide down.

             "What's wrong?" he asked, pulling away slightly so he could see her face.

             "I don't like fighting with you," Amy admitted.

             "Well, we're not fighting anymore, don't worry, okay?" Ephram glanced over at Bright, who was now sitting down again, looking quite pleased with himself. The older boy gave Ephram a smile.

             "Okay," Amy replied quietly.

             "Now I'm going to go see Colin," Ephram said, gently pulling out of the embrace completely, "Room 225, right?"

            Amy nodded, giving way to a small smile.

             "Alright," he said, making his way for the doorway, "I'll be back then."

            Once he was gone, Amy sat down beside Bright and sighed. 

             "You alright, little sis?" Bright asked.

             "Yeah, I guess." Amy replied, staring up at the ceiling.

            There was silence, so Bright said the first thing that came to his mind.

             "You're in love with Ephram, aren't u?" 

            Amy's face was one of shock and surprise.

             "What?!" she exlaimed, "No! Of course not! I'm going out with Colin!"

            Bright chuckled, "Come on, Grover. I know you! Even though you're going out with Colin, you're in love with Ephram. I can see it in your eyes, don't deny it."

            Amy looked down at the floor, "Is it really that noticeable?"

            "Nah, it's only 'cause I've been watching you guys." Bright replied, a grin on his face.

             "I guess I better explain," Amy sighed, "But you gotta promise not to tell anyone!"

            Bright nodded, "Of course."

             "Alright," Amy started, "I love Colin, but not like a girlfriend/boyfriend love, I just love him as a really good friend."

             "And Ephram?" Bright pushed, hoping it was what he wanted to hear.

             "And Ephram…" Amy repeated, her eyes sparkling for the first time since the surgery, "I think I'm in love with Ephram, Bright."

            Bright gave her a small hug, and smiled, "That's great!"

             "No, it's not great right now!" she exclaimed, the sparkle in her eyes disappearing, "And what's with you and Ephram anyway? I thought that you hated him!"

             "Yeah…well," Bright stammered, "I don't anymore. He's not that bad."

            Amy laughed, "I'm glad you think so."

             "So what are you going to do?" Bright asked, curious for the 'other side of the story'.

             "I don't know, just leave things alone for now, I think. I really can't do much, can I?" Amy asked, getting up and pacing, a little relieved to finally be talking about this with someone.

             "You're right, you really can't break up with Colin," Bright commented.

             "Yeah. But I'm lying to him!" Amy exclaimed, sitting back down again.

            "Which one?" Bright asked, "Colin?"

            "Yeah, and Ephram. I'm lying to both of them!" Amy put her head in her hands.

            "Don't worry, there's really nothing else you can do." Bright tried to comfort her, "You're doing the right thing."

            "Am I?" Amy sighed.

            "Yes, definitely." Bright replied, hugging her.

            "I wonder why Colin wanted to see Ephram?" Amy asked.

            "Yeah," Bright agreed.

*                                                *                                                *

            Though he wouldn't admit it to Amy, Ephram was scared to go see Colin, for fear of letting anything slip. But she had gotten so upset when he had told her that he didn't want to go; he couldn't go against her wishes.

            He tried to walk as slow as possible, fearing the point where he came to Colin's room. It came quicker than he thought, though, and he stopped outside. 

            "Here we go," he muttered, knocking on the door.

            "Ephram?" he heard Colin call from inside, "Come on in."

            Ephram sighed as he walked inside the room. This should prove to be interesting.


	10. A Confession and a Revelation

A/N – Sorry this took so long! I've been meaning to sit down and write the next chapter but I had so many other things going on. I promise I'll try to never let it be this long again. Again, if you like Harry Potter, read If I Don't, it's by a friend of mine and it's really good!! Thanks to Kim and Jenn! Please review!! 

            Ephram slowly walked into the hospital room.

            "Hey," Colin replied, trying to sit up.

            "No!" Ephram exclaimed, "Really, don't hurt yourself, you don't have to sit up."

            Colin managed a smile and rested back down on the pillow "Alright then, if you insist."

            As Ephram nervously sat down beside him, there was an awkward silence.

            "I guess you're wondering why I asked to see you?" Colin asked.

            Ephram laughed out loud, "Yeah, that question did cross my mind."

            "Well, Amy's been here every day and I know that this has been really hard on her. When I asked if you were here she said that you were, and that you and Bright had been supporting her." Colin paused, "And she's probably trying to be strong, but I wanted to ask you how she's really taking it, is she alright?"

            Ephram pondered how to answer this. He knew that she was not 'alright'. In fact, Amy was far from 'alright'; she was the opposite of 'alright'! But she wouldn't really want him to tell Colin this, it would completely ruin motive to keep being strong.

            "Oh yeah," Ephram lied, "She's okay. I mean, she's really worried about you, but she's alright. Amy's taking it really well."

            Colin looked relieved, but a little disappointed. Ephram felt horrible lying, but there were no other options in his mind. It was also awful to be talking to Colin at all, considering Ephram's feelings for Colin's girlfriend, which Colin probably knew about. 

            "I'm glad, thanks for helping her through this, Ephram." Colin said, breaking through Ephram's thoughts.

            "No problem," Ephram replied quickly.

            "I know she appreciates you, you've been a really good friend to her." Colin continued, smiling.

            Ephram was screaming inside, what was Colin trying to do to him? He was making him feel so guilty, he could hardly breathe. Suddenly, he had to get it out in the open.

            "You know what, Colin? I have to tell you something," Ephram started, not knowing exactly what he was going to say but needing to get it all off his chest.

            "What?" Colin asked, looking confused.

            Ephram took a deep breath and continued.

            "I'm in love with Amy. I have been ever since I laid eyes on her, ever since I came to Everwood. And I'm sorry, man." Colin's face was full of anger and before he could say anything Ephram kept explaining. "I told her how I felt but she didn't want to hear any of it, the only guy she wanted was you. But she still wanted me as a friend. So here I am, being the best friend I could be. Believe me, Colin, if I could get over her, I would, but I can't. She's a part of me and I can't change that or the way I feel."

            Ephram stopped, amazed at himself and his courage. He glanced at Colin, who was still looking angry but not as much as before. He had softened a little bit but still wasn't saying anything. It felt so much better to get all of that off his chest.

            "Why do you love her?" Colin asked quietly, staring at Ephram.

            The bluntness of the question startled Ephram.

            "Excuse me?" Ephram asked.

            "I said, why do you love her?" Colin repeated, a little more loudly.

            "I don't know," Ephram replied, then stopped to actually think about it, "The way her smile lights up her whole face, the way her hair smells when I hug her, her laugh that makes me feel all warm inside, her beautiful eyes that captivate me, the fact I can talk to her so easily…just, her."

            Ephram smiled as he said this, remembering memories of her, but his eyes went wide as he realized he had said all of that out loud. Colin wasn't saying anything, but looked deep in thought.

            "Anyway, I'm gonna go," Ephram said, getting up and walking around Colin's bed to the door, "Bye."

            There was a moment's pause and then Colin responded, "Bye."

            "It's been fun." Ephram muttered as he left the hospital room, closing the door behind him.

            He walked back to the waiting room, trying to think about what to do. He had just confessed everything there was to know about his love for Amy…to Colin.

            _Smart move, man,_ Ephram thought. _If he didn't already hate me, he does now._

            Ephram got to the waiting room to find Amy asleep on Bright's shoulder. He smiled as Bright gently shook Amy awake. She woke up, looking confused, but looked around and recognizing where she was she seemed more at ease. She looked at Ephram and smiled, getting up.

            "Is everything okay?" she asked, rubbing her eyes, "What did Colin want?"

            "Oh, he just wanted to say hi. Nothing important." Ephram replied, inwardly groaning at the lie.

            "Okay. I'll go say goodnight to him then." Amy said, heading for the doorway.

            Ephram's face must have looked panicked, because Bright suddenly asked, "Is everything okay, Ephram?"

            Amy turned around quickly and studied him for a moment.

            "Oh yeah, I'm great." Ephram answered nervously, "Don't worry."

            Amy smiled at him for a second and then left the waiting room, heading down the hallway.

            "Bright!" Ephram exclaimed, "I screwed up majorly!"

            Bright groaned, "I knew something was up. What'd you do?"

            "Well, Colin wanted to know how Amy was. I told her she was fine and then before I knew it I was telling him that I loved her!" Ephram explained, dropping into a chair and putting his head in his hands.

            "Dude! What the hell did you do that for?!" Bright asked, shaking his head.

            "I don't know! And then he wanted to know why I loved her…" Ephram trailed off, remembering.

            "Don't tell me you actually listed the reasons?" Bright demanded, sighing, "Ephram…"

            "I know! And now Amy's talking to him and he's probably going to tell her. Oh my God, I can't believe I did this." Ephram moaned.

            "Neither can I…well, all you can do now is hope for the best." Bright replied, "And wait for her to come back."

            Ephram nodded and the two boys waited in silence.

*                                  *                                  *

"Hey there," Amy exclaimed, going into Colin's room.

            He was lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling. 

            "You alright?" she asked, sitting down beside him.

            "Why do you love me?" Colin asked, not turning to look at her.

            "What?" Amy asked, taken aback by his question.

            "Why do you love me?" he repeated, his voice without emotion. 

            "What kind of question is that?" Amy exclaimed

            "Just answer the question." he whispered.

            There was silence as Amy contemplated how to answer the question.

            "I don't know," she replied, honestly.

            Colin took a deep breath in and sighed.

            "That's because you don't." he replied softly.

A/N – Muahahahahaha! Cliffhanger!!! I'll have the next chapter up really soon, I won't wait too long, don't worry!


	11. It's Love After All

A/N- Thanks for your reviews! Although at the end of this chapter it may seem like it's the end, it's not. Would I end it at 11 chapters?! Of course not! LOL! There is a lot more in store for these characters, so keep reading and reviewing! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and to Jenn and Kim! Please review!

            Amy sat in stunned silence.

            "Wh-what?" she stuttered, "Of course I do!"

            Colin shook his head and turned to look at her for the first time since she had come in the room.

            "No, you don't." he argued, "You loved the old Colin, not this one, not me. I'm not the same guy, Amy, and you know that."

            Amy didn't say anything.

            "Amy!" Colin exclaimed, putting his hand on her arm, "Come on, we both know all this. I was being selfish, and didn't want to give you up. I needed your support and I thought that the only way to get it was if we were together. That wasn't right of me and I'm sorry."

            "Why are you doing this now?" Amy asked, still in shock.

            Colin paused, "Ephram's in love with you, you know."

            Amy's face went from shock to utter bewilderment and surprise.

            "What?! How the hell would you know that?" she shrieked.

            "He told me." Colin replied quietly.

            "Oh my God, I can't believe he did that…I'm so sorry." Amy apologized, running her hands through her hair, "Oh my God…"

            "Amy, it's okay. Really. But answer me one question," Colin looked into her eyes, "Do you love him back?"

            Amy blinked and looked down at the floor, not answering.

            "It's not a hard question, Amy." Colin said, taking her hand in his, "Just answer me."

            Amy looked up at him, her face so sad.

             "Yeah, Colin, I do." she whispered, "I'm sorry."

            Colin sighed, "I do love you, Amy."

            "I love you too, but not like I should." Amy replied, her eyes welling up with tears.

            "Then this is for the best." Colin said, confidently, almost as if he were reassuring himself, "Amy, we can't go out anymore."

            A single tear ran down Amy's cheek and she nodded in agreement.

            "Promise me something, though," Colin continued, "Can we please stay friends? If I can't have you as my girlfriend, I still need you as a friend."

            "Of course!" Amy exclaimed, "I'm still going to help you through this."

            Colin laughed, "Stubborn as ever."

             "You bet!" Amy grinned.

            She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and got up. 

            "It's late, I better go," she said quietly, "I'll be back tomorrow."

            Colin smiled, "Alright. See you then."

            Amy smiled and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

            She wasn't watching where she was going as she walked down the hallway back to the waiting room and ran into someone, knocking them over.

            "Oh my, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, helping them up, "Ephram!"

            He smiled nervously, "Hey. How's Colin?"

            "He's…alright." Amy replied, not knowing how to tell him.

            "He told you, didn't he?" Ephram took Amy's look of surprise as a yes, and continued, "I'm really sorry Amy. I don't know what came over me. I couldn't take it anymore, being around you and not being able to do anything about it. Yes, I'm in love with you, every little part of you and I can't help it. You're beautiful, not only on the outside but on the inside and – "

            Amy cut Ephram off by taking his hands in hers and pulling him towards her. He immediately stopped talking.

            "I love you too, Ephram," she whispered once their faces were just an inch apart.

            It was Amy who initiated the kiss, letting months of built-up passion and frustration loose. To them, it seemed like it lasted forever. 

            "Amy?" he asked, after they had finally pulled apart, "What about Colin?"

            Amy smiled at him, "We broke up. He realized that I had feelings for you."

            Ephram grinned and kissed her, a short sweet kiss, which made her feel warm inside. 

            "So…"Amy said, taking his hand in hers and walking towards the waiting room, "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

            Ephram smiled, "Nothing. What about you?"     

            "Well, I was hoping to go out with this guy, but I don't know if he'd want to or not…" Amy teased.

            "Really? Hmmm, that's interesting," Ephram replied, playing along, "Because I was going to ask you out. Unless, of course, you'd rather go out with this other guy."

            "I don't know," Amy said, smiling, "What can you offer me?"

            Ephram turned her around to face him and pulled her close to him.

            "The world," he whispered.

            "Hmmm," she pretended to think about it, "Okay, you win."

            Ephram laughed, "I thought I would."

            Laughing and hand in hand they made their way back to the waiting room, very unaware that the "soap-opera" was hardly over.


	12. A Situation All Too Familiar

A/N- Here's the next one! I know, the last part of the last one was complete fluff, but I couldn't resist, after all, they're finally together! Or at least for now…lol…Thanks to everyone who reviewed! And to Kim and Jenn! I love all of u who review, please keep reading and reviewing!! Bye for now, enjoy!

             "Oh come on, you've got to be kidding me!" Bright exclaimed, leaning back in his chair.

            Amy, Ephram, Bright and Delia were playing another game of Monopoly. Amy and Ephram were sitting beside each other, laughing at Bright's misfortune. He had just gotten sent to jail for the third time in a row, and he had been in first place, but was now slowly losing all his money.

            "Nope, bye-bye Bright!" Delia laughed.

            Bright sighed, "No need to be mean."

            They all laughed as Bright moved his playing piece to the jail spot.

            "Bright, you're such a sore loser!" Amy teased.

            Bright didn't respond but gave his little sister a look that plainly said '_I don't care, bite me!_ '.

            "Ephram," a voice said from the doorway.

            The four turned to see Dr. Brown standing there.

            "Hey Dad," Ephram replied, getting up.

            "Hi, looks like you guys are having fun," he smiled, "But can I talk to you for a second?"

            "Yeah, sure," Ephram nodded, "I'll be back. Amy, play my turn, okay?"

            She nodded as he smiled reassuringly at her.

            Father and son walked out into the hallway.

            "Come outside," Dr. Brown said quietly.

            Once they got there, he sat down and motioned for Ephram to sit down as well.

            "Colin's getting worse," Dr. Brown said, shaking his head, "We've put him on drugs to ease the pain but he's getting worse."

            Ephram sighed, "Okay, so what's next?"

            "Well," Dr. Brown started, "We think that we're going to have to operate if we're going to keep him alive."

*                                  *                                  *

Dr. Brown and Ephram came back inside to find Delia, Amy and Bright still playing Monopoly. Delia had a huge pile of money in front of her, while Bright had about 5 pieces of monopoly money in front of him. Amy was somewhere in the middle but looked like she was just having fun watching her brother lose.

            Ephram sat down, his face solemn. Amy noticed right away that something was wrong.

            "Ephram?" she asked, "What's going on? What's wrong?"

            Ephram sighed. After his father had told him about the next surgery, Ephram had argued until Dr. Brown had agreed not to tell Amy yet. Ephram had wanted to tell her, but now it didn't seem like the most fun thing to do.

            "Don't worry about it right now," he replied, "Just play. Is it my turn?"

            His attempt at changing the subject didn't work. It only caught the attention of Bright and Delia as well.

            "No, Ephram." Amy said, "Please tell me now."

            Ephram sighed, "Amy, it's not good news."

            "I don't care!" Amy exclaimed angrily.

            "Alright. I'll tell all you guys," he conceded, taking Amy's hands in his own but addressing everyone.

            Delia looked frightened and Bright got up and stood behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. Ephram managed a small smile and continued.

            "Okay, as I'm sure you guys were aware, Colin is getting worse." Ephram started, as the three other people nodded, "The only way to save him is to have my Dad operate on him again." 

            Amy's eyes filled with tears and she looked down as Bright sighed heavily.

            "Again?!" Delia shouted, "That's the third time!"

            "I know. But there's one more thing," Ephram continued softly.

             "What is it?" Amy whispered.

            "The surgery's scheduled for tonight." he replied, looking only at Amy now.

            "So soon?" Bright asked, missing the connection that Amy and Ephram had shared.

            "Yeah, apparently the sooner the better." Ephram replied, breaking eye contact with Amy and looking at Bright.

            "Is there anything we can do?" Bright asked, sitting down again.

            "Uh, I'm not sure." Ephram replied honestly, "You can probably go visit him before hand."

            "Is there anyone in with him now?" Bright asked, getting up.

            "Yeah, Mr. and Mrs. Hart are in there. Laynie, too, I think." Ephram added, remembering that the younger girl had flown in last night.

            "Oh, that's right, Laynie's back," Bright recalled, "How is she taking this? Do you know?"

            Ephram shook his head, "No, I really haven't talked to her at all. I probably should, actually."

            "You know what? Why don't you and I walk down to his room, and I'll go see him once his family's done and you can make sure Laynie's alright, you know her better than I do." Bright suggested.

            Ephram thought about it for a moment and then turned to Amy.

            "Will you be okay?" he asked, brushing her cheek with his finger.

            She nodded taking his hand in hers and squeezing it. 

"Yeah, you go. Delia and I will stay here, right Delia?" she smiled.

            Delia nodded, "Uh-huh. We'll be here when you get back."

            "Alright then, I'll be as quick as possible." Ephram promised, giving Amy a kiss on the cheek.

            "Okay," she whispered, letting go of his hand as he walked away with her brother.

            As the two boys walked out of the room, Ephram turned back to take one last glance at Amy.

            _Things are back to normal_, he thought sadly.


	13. Anger and Guilt

A/N – And the next chappie is up! Thanks to all my loyal reviewers, all the reviews I get still make my day! Thanks also to Kim and Jenn. Please keep reading and reviewing!

Bright and Ephram made their way down the hallway in silence, both their thoughts tangled in the mess that Colin's sudden surgery had caused.

            "Hey Ephram," Bright said suddenly, "I'm happy for you and Amy."

            Ephram smiled, "Thanks."

            "But this sorts screws it up, doesn't it?" Bright continued bluntly.

            Ephram nodded. 

            "Yeah, just a little," he responded sarcastically.

            "I'm sure that it'll work out, Ephram, don't worry." Bright clapped a hand on Ephram's shoulder supportively.

            "Thanks, man." Ephram said quietly, "I sure hope so."

            They walked the rest of the way in silence. As they got closer to Colin's room, they distinctively heard someone crying. 

            "Laynie," Bright whispered, walking faster.

            Ephram sped up too, but was a little nervous to meet Laynie again. They had parted on alright terms, but things had changed and he was finally with Amy. How would that affect Laynie?

            Sure enough, Laynie was sitting outside Colin's room, sobbing uncontrollably. Bright ran to her and took her in his arms. It wasn't romantic at all though, how Ephram and Amy's encounter had been. This was purely platonic, and looked like a brother comforting his little sister.

            Ephram smiled as he neared the two, and stood without a sound as Bright calmed Laynie down.

            "I'm gonna go see Colin," he said softly once she had stopped crying, "And Ephram's going to stay here. Okay?"

            Laynie nodded, looking up at Ephram.

            "Alright," Bright said, knocking on the door and going in, closing the door behind him.

            "So Laynie," Ephram began, sitting down beside her, "You've already been to see Colin?"

            "Yeah," Laynie replied.

            "And how is he?" Ephram asked, looking at the floor.

            "He's fine, being brave," she added, "Though when I mentioned Amy he said that things had changed between them. Any idea what he meant?"

            _Oh God, _Ephram thought, _this couldn't be happening…what could he say?_

            "Yeah, um," Ephram started, trying to find the words, "They broke up."

            "Really? When?" Laynie asked, confused.

            She had talked to her brother a week ago, and he hadn't mentioned anything of the sort.

            Ephram mumbled something that she couldn't understand.

            "What?" Laynie pressed, "That sounded an awful lot like 'last night'…no, don't tell me she dumped him last night! That –"

            "He broke up with her, Laynie!" Ephram cut her off, fuming, "Don't you dare call her any names, she didn't do anything wrong."

            "Why would my brother break up with her? He loves her!" Laynie argued angrily.

            Ephram sighed, "Because he realized that she had feelings for me."

            Laynie froze.

            She then slowly got up, and started to walk away.

            "Where are you going?" Ephram asked, quickly getting up and running to catch up with her.

            "To have a chat with Amy," Laynie replied, speeding up her pace.

*                                  *                                  *

             "So Delia," Amy started once the boys were out of sight, "How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

             "I'm alright, it's just a lot to take in." Delia replied softly.

            Amy nodded, "I know what you mean."

            There was a silence and Delia decided to break it.

             "So are you in love with my brother?" Delia asked.

            "Yeah," Amy smiled, "I am."

            "So when you gave me that advice, you were speaking from experience?" Delia asked, grinning.

            Amy laughed, "That I was. It works, Delia, I had to take my own advice."

            Delia laughed.            

            "Amy Abbott!" a voice yelled from the doorway.

            Amy looked up, startled. 

            "Laynie," she replied softly, "Are you okay?" 

            "Why couldn't you have denied it?" Laynie asked angrily, storming into the room and standing in front of the older girl. 

            Delia looked on anxiously.

            "What?!" Amy asked, "Denied what?"

            "It was one day before his surgery! You've broken his heart!" Laynie cried, stepping towards Amy.

            Ephram ran in to the waiting room, "Laynie, stop!"

            "Ephram!" Amy exclaimed, "What the hell is she talking about?" 

            Ephram ran towards her and pulled her away.

            "She's just upset," he replied, "Come on, Laynie, let's go outside or something."

            "No!" Laynie screamed, "I want to talk to her!"

            "Well, you're not talking right now, are you? You need to calm down," Ephram soothed, giving Amy a reassuring glance.

            "Oh, what do you care?" Laynie muttered.  
            "I care about you and I care about Amy," Ephram replied, "And I don't want to see you guys getting hurt.

            "Yeah well I care about Colin!" Laynie replied, "And I'm probably the only one here who does!"

            "That's not true," Amy whispered, tears in her eyes.

            "What? Sorry, I didn't hear you," Laynie spat venomously, "Speak up."

            "That's not true," Amy repeated, "Even though I'm not in love with Colin I still care about him. Everyone here does!"

            "Whatever," Laynie mumbled.

            She stumbled out of the waiting room and down the hallway.

            Ephram fell into a hospital chair and sighed, running his hands through his hair.

            "I'm so sorry, Amy," he said, "I have no idea what got into her."

            "It's alright," Amy replied quietly, "I understand where she's coming from."

            "Amy?" Bright asked, standing in the doorway. "Are you going to go see Colin before they take him into surgery?"

            "Yeah, I guess so," Amy replied, slowly getting up.

            "Do you want me to go with you?" Bright asked.

            Amy nodded, and Ephram couldn't help feeling hurt.

            "Ephram," Amy said, walking towards the place where he was sitting, "You just rest, okay? You've been through a lot."

            She gave him a quick kiss and then left with Bright.

            Ephram sighed, _This was going to be a long night._


	14. The Surgery

A/N – And here's the surgery! Hope u guys like it, let me know what u think! Thanx for all ur reviews!! U have no idea how much I appreciate them! Thanx to Kim and Jenn, again, I gotta thank them each time, they catch errors that I pass over many times. lol! Keep reading and reviewing!

             "Colin?" Amy asked as she stepped into the room.

            He was lying in bed, on his back, with his eyes closed. He didn't move when Amy came in but she continued anyway.

            "I'm really worried about you, Colin, but I know you'll be fine." Amy smiled, and sat on the bed beside him, "You always are. And I need you to be strong for me because I need you as my friend."

            Amy took his hand and squeezed it, then placed a gentle kiss on it.

            "I'll see you after the surgery, okay?" she asked, looking intently at him, wishing he'd answer.

            "Alright Amy." he whispered, squeezing back and then letting go, "I love you."

            She kissed his cheek, not knowing what to say, and then left the room, wiping away tears before walking back to the waiting room.

            She had asked Bright to leave her and Colin alone, so he had gone back to the waiting room with argument. Amy had been grateful for her brother's co-operation; both his and Ephram support throughout all of this had been priceless.

            When she got there, the waiting room was very busy. It seemed as though all of Everwood had congregated there, all looking extremely nervous. They were all chattering away, but when Amy stepped into the room it fell silent.

            "Hi, everyone," she said, trying to smile.

            Her father came forward and gave her a hug.

            "Thanks, Dad," Amy said, hugging him back a little awkwardly. She and her father hadn't been on the best of terms lately.

            "We're here for you," her mother said quietly, motioning with her hand to all the people in the waiting room.

            Amy searched the room quickly for Ephram, and found him standing beside Delia, with his arm around her. Though he didn't often show it, he loved his sister very much and tried to protect her. Amy could see why, Delia was such a good kid. She smiled at them, and Ephram smiled back.

            "Thanks, Mom," Amy replied, now smiling. "I really appreciate all your support."

            She walked towards Ephram and he put his arm around her.

            "But Colin and I aren't going out anymore. We're just friends." she looked around the room for the reaction of her friends and family.

            They all looked shocked, and Dr. Abbott looked confused but suddenly realization dawned as he looked at Amy and Ephram more closely.

            "It's because of _him_, isn't it?" he said angrily as he regarded Ephram irritably.

            "Daddy, he has a name." Amy replied steadily, looking her father in the eyes, "Yes, mainly it's because of Ephram. But I don't love Colin like I should, which is why things had to end. But I still care about him. He's my friend."

            Dr. Abbott was left entirely speechless and huffed as he left the waiting room. The people promptly started to chatter again, and Amy turned to Ephram.

            "Don't worry about him," she whispered as she hugged him, "He just has to get used to us."

            "Quite frankly, Amy, your Dad frightens me." Ephram replied honestly.

            Amy laughed, "Really?"

            "Would I lie?" Ephram asked, pulling away, his eyes twinkling.

            Amy looked him in the eye, "Yes." 

            Ephram was about to argue but Amy continued.

            "But I can tell you aren't because you blink when you lie." 

            Ephram chuckled, "Really? Well, I'll have to remember that."

            They laughed and Ephram kissed her, gently.

            "Everyone?" Dr. Brown called from the doorway, silencing the room.

            Amy and Ephram pulled out of their embrace but he kept his arm around her waist.

            "We're prepping Colin now." he began, "The surgery's going to take approximately four hours. As you probably already know, it's dangerous. But we're going to do our best."

            "That's all we can ask, Doctor Brown." a woman whom Amy recognized as Colin's aunt said.

            "Alright then, I'll see all of you in four hours." Dr. Brown replied, smiling grimly, and turning to leave.

            "Wait, Dad!" Ephram called, letting go of Amy's waist and jogging towards him.

            "Here," he said, handing him a tape, "For the surgery."

            Dr. Brown smiled and gave his son a hug, "Thanks, Ephram. I appreciate it."

            "No problem, Dad," Ephram replied, smiling.

            And with that, Dr. Brown left.       

            "Alright everyone!" Ephram called, "Who's up for a game of monopoly?"

*                                  *                                  *

            Three and a half hours later they had already played two games of monopoly and were really tired. Most of them were tired and some had gone home, but Bright, Delia, Amy and Ephram were still there. They sat on the floor, Amy beside Ephram, with her head on his shoulder and Delia sitting in Bright's lap.

            Everyone was getting anxious for news, any news of how the surgery was going. They weren't talking but it wasn't an awkward silence, they all appreciated it.

            When Doctor Brown arrived in the doorway ten minutes later, they all were surprised. They looked up at him and his grave face. Ephram then noticed something awful.

            There was a tear running down his cheek.

            "Dad?" he whispered, getting up.

            "He's gone." Dr. Brown replied sadly.

A/N – I'm like crying here!! I feel so bad…poor hot Colin…but it was his time…now we get to see how the characters deal with this! He's proly gonna haunt me now! lol! Next chapter'll be up soon!


	15. Thank You

A/N – Hello, hello! Here's the next chapter…I can't say it's a happy one, though! I'm so upset about killing him...it's the first person I've ever killed! It's just so sad!! lol, I know I'm a drama queen. Thanks to Kim and Jenn and all my loyal reviewers, please keep reading and reviewing!!

            Ephram felt his eyes welling up with tears as Amy let out a strangled cry. Mrs. Hart rushed to Doctor Brown.

            "He's – he's gone?" she gasped, "Where is he? Where's my son?!" 

            "I'm so sorry," Dr. Brown said, looking extremely tired and upset, "He's in his old hospital room, I thought I'd put his body in there so all of you can say goodbye."

            "Oh my God!" Mrs. Hart cried. Her husband quickly came up behind her and led her out of the room and down the hallway. 

            Delia had started to cry and Bright was comforting her, and Ephram had immediately made his way to Amy after she had cried out.

            There were tears running down everyone's cheeks, including Dr. Abbott. Even Edna looked like she was going to cry.

            "It's okay, baby," Ephram whispered in Amy's ear as he rocked her back and forth, "He's in a better place now."

            "Oh God, Ephram," Amy cried softly, "Why? Why'd he have to go?"

            "He was in so much pain, he's not anymore though, and he's free." Ephram soothed, rubbing her back.

            Amy continued to cry, but held onto Ephram tightly. 

On the other side of the room, Mrs. Abbott was also being comforted by her husband.

            "He was so young, darling, so young." she sobbed.

            "I know, sweetie, I know." Dr. Abbott hugged his wife, feeling very saddened.

            He wasn't even happy that he had won against Dr. Brown, the poor man looked so depressed and defeated that Dr. Abbott couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

            He left his wife and walked over to Dr. Brown. He didn't say anything, but to everyone's surprise, especially Dr. Abbott himself, he gave Dr. Brown a hug.

            "It's alright, Andy, it'll be okay," he said softly.

            At this, Delia came running across the room into her father's arms. Dr. Brown's face suddenly was masked, and he decided to be brave for his young daughter.

            "Aww, Delia," he murmured as he held her in his arms, "It'll be okay, honey."

            Delia cried quietly in her father's arms.

            "Ephram?" Amy whispered, pulling back so she could look at him, "I want to go say goodbye."

            He nodded, "Me too. Come on."

            Amy went over to her parents, giving them both hugs and telling them where she was going. They both understood and told their daughter that they'd be there when she got back. 

            Ephram went over to his family and gave Delia a big hug and a kiss on the head, telling her that Colin was in a better place, he was not in any pain now. He gave his Dad a supportive hug, knowing how he must feel at this horrible occurrence.

            With that the couple made their way down the hall towards Colin's old room. 

They didn't speak, but both knew that they were thinking about just how thankful they were to have each other.

            Once they got to the room, they heard Colin's parents talking, so they patiently waited outside, not wanting to interrupt. When his parents came out of the room, Mrs. Hart with her tear-stained face and Mr. Hart, looking crushed but trying to be brave for his frail wife, they both gave Amy hugs, and told her that they loved her.

            "He was very lucky to have you," Mrs. Hart whispered through her tears, "Even if you didn't love him, you were always there for him. Thank you so much, Amy."

            "Don't thank me, Mrs. Hart, it was the least I could do," Amy replied, starting to cry again.

            Ephram quickly put his arm around her and smoothed her hair, trying to get her to calm down.

            "You take care of her, Ephram," Mr. Hart said, patting his back, "She's a special one. Colin would want you to take care of her."

            Ephram tried to smile, "I will, Mr. Hart, don't worry. I will."

            Amy smiled, putting her head on his shoulder as she softly continued to cry.

            "We better be going, find Laynie," Mr. Hart said, putting his arm around his wife as he led her away.

            "Come on, honey," Ephram said, as he led Amy into the room.

            Amy gave a gasp as they entered the room. Colin was lying motionless on the bed and all of the colour had drained out of his cheeks.

            "He's really dead, Ephram," Amy sobbed, putting her head on his chest.

            Ephram just stroked her back, nodding.

            "Time to say goodbye," he murmered. 

            "Okay," Amy agreed, moving towards the bed.

            Ephram remained where he was, just watching.

            "Colin," Amy whispered, sitting down on the bed, "I can't believe you're gone. Even though I didn't _love_ you, I cared, I still do."

            She picked up his hand and choked when she realized that it wasn't warm.

            "Ephram?" she cried, and he came and sat beside her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

            "Come on, keep going." he encouraged.

            "I'm really going to miss you, Colin. You were one-of-a-kind, and very special to me. This town's not going to be the same without you. Remember in grade one, when you kissed me and I screamed bloody murder?"

            She chuckled slightly, remembering her happy younger days.

            "And you said that you'd always be here, and that this town needed you and so did I?" Amy paused, thinking and trying to put her emotions into words, "Well, you were right. This town did need you and you ended up bringing us together. You should have seen everyone being friendly towards one another, even Dr. Abbott and Dr. Brown! It's what you would have wanted to see."

            Amy smiled as a single tear ran down her cheek and splashed onto his limp hand.

            "God, please take care of him," she whispered, kissing his cheek, "He deserves the best."

            Amy got up and walked to the door silently.

            "Aims?" Ephram asked, "I'm gonna stay here, I want to say goodbye. You wait outside the door, okay?"

            Amy nodded and left without a word.

            "Hey Colin," Ephram began, staring at the floor, "I've never done this before, I mean, talking to someone who's already gone. I, um, I'm sorry for everything. I didn't mean to make Amy fall in love with me, though I wanted it. If I had known how much you loved Amy I wouldn't have wanted it. But I assure you; I promise that I'll take care of her. I love her a lot, and she's really hurting right now, you leaving has torn her up. But I'll help her get through it, bit by bit, and I know that you would want her to keep going and be happy. I'll make sure that happens."

            He could almost hear Colin's _thank you_ as he walked out of the room and put his arm around Amy while they walked back to the busy waiting room.

A/N – Unfortunately, another chapter will not be up until Saturday. I'm going up to a cottage for a couple days, where there is no computer!! NO! lol! But I'll be back on Saturday and I'll write more while I'm up there. Thanks for your understanding…keep reading and reviewing!


	16. Goodbye

A/N – Hello hello!! I'm sorry it's been so long! When I got back from my friend's cottage, the site wasn't up and I had to go away again before it was fixed. I hope you enjoy! Thanks so much to Kim and Jenn and for all your reviews! I love you guys!!

            The date for the funeral was set for Saturday, four days after Colin's death. Mrs. Hart was devastated at her only son's death and even though her husband tried to support her and help her, everyone could tell that she too was horribly distraught.

            Laynie was like her parents but also very angry. And for some reason she channelled all her anger towards Amy; it seemed that the young girl blamed her for the tragedy. Ephram tried his hardest to run interference, but couldn't figure out why Laynie hated Amy so much. During one fight between them he finally realized the reason. Something Laynie said triggered it; it finally all made sense.

            "Everyone wanted you!" Laynie shouted at Amy, "And when they get you, you're the centre of their universe, right? I mean, how else could it be?"

            "I'm not like that and you know it!" Amy yelled angrily, "I tried to be friends with you! You pushed me away!"

            "Would you want to be friends with a girl who had taken over your brother's life?" Laynie asked, staring Amy in the eye, "And who took away a boy you really liked?"

            Amy stood silent at Laynie's last words. She suddenly remembered how Laynie and Ephram had dated…but she hadn't thought that she liked him that much. Amy had no idea what to say to the younger girl.

            "Look, Laynie –" Amy began but Ephram interrupted her. He'd been standing behind Amy during the argument but at this he felt he had to say something.

            "Is that why you're so angry at Amy?" he asked calmly, but then his voice getting irritated, "Because of _that_? I liked you, Laynie, but I'm sorry.  I was already in love with Amy. It was too late; it never would have worked."

            Laynie opened her mouth to protest but Ephram held up his hand and continued.

            "It's not Amy's fault. Our break-up and Colin's death are _not_ her fault."

            "Please," Amy said unexpectedly, "I don't want to fight with you. Colin would have wanted us to be friends."

            Laynie paled and nodded slowly.

             "You're right Amy, you're right." she repeated to herself, "Friends?"

            Amy smiled at Laynie's outstretched hand and shook it.

            "Friends," she replied, grinning.

            All of the sudden, Laynie gave Amy a hug, taking her by surprise.

            "I miss him too," Amy whispered in Laynie's ear.

            "I know," Laynie responded quietly.

            Ephram stood astounded. Just a moment ago, these girls had been screaming at each other and now they were hugging. 

            Colin would be proud.

*                                  *                                  *

            Contradicting usual funeral-weather, on Saturday the sun was brightly shining. As Ephram walked to the cemetery with Amy, he thought to himself how amazingly fitting it was. Colin was happy now and the sun reflected it nicely.

            Mr. and Mrs. Hart asked Bright to do the eulogy and he had been working on it diligently. It was the last thing that he could give to Colin and he wanted to make it perfect. But he wouldn't let anyone read it before the funeral, not Amy, his parents, or even Ephram.

            He and Ephram had become quite close in the last week. They both cared for and supported Amy and once they actually talked to each other they realized that they had a lot in common. Ephram was the closest thing Bright had to a best friend at the moment, but he knew that nothing would ever take the place of Colin.

            As the town stood in the cemetery waiting for Bright's eulogy to begin, Ephram looked around. He remembered Amy's words at Colin's bedside.

            _This town needs you and so do I…_

            They were all here. Everyone who lived in Everwood, he had brought them all together. It made Ephram smile.

            "Good morning everyone," Bright said loudly, standing at the podium, "I'm Bright Abbott, as I'm sure you all know, and Colin was my best friend."

            He looked over at his parents, then at Amy and finally at the Harts before continuing.

            "Colin was an amazing person. He was kind, smart, compassionate and last, but most certainly not least, Colin was brave. His courage inspired me." Bright smiled, and softly chuckled, "It was hidden at times because he was scared. But who isn't? But it was always there. And in his last days, he tried to be very brave, because he knew that as hard as it was going to be to leave us, he would be happier in Heaven. And he is, I _know _he is."

            Amy wiped away a tear and Ephram squeezed her hand. Colin would have wanted him to take care of her, and he _would_. 

            Bright looked around the crowd and smiled, "And he's smiling down on us right now, because once again he brought us together. And if we want to keep his memory alive, which I know we do, then we need to stay like this. Our town needs to remain close; we need to all be friends. We can do it. And it's what Colin would want. May we always remember Colin Hart, loving son, brother and loyal friend. We'll never forget him."

            With this, Bright left the podium and returned beside Amy and his parents. Amy gave him a hug and Bright smoothed her hair as she sobbed quietly. Ephram patted him on the back and smiled. Bright just nodded in thanks.

            The rest of the ceremony was beautiful and though there were more tears as he was buried, the sun shone and everyone remembered that Colin was happy and in no pain anymore. 

            He had finally gotten his reward.

A/N – I'm afraid that this is the end of this story!! I think that it's a good place to end it…Colin's happy, everyone's happy! But I'm thinking of writing a sequel…so let me know if u guys would want one!! 


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